Nurses in Coventry and Warwickshire PCTs have developed a new tool to support staff who care for children with complex health needs.

The Coventry and Warwickshire PCT Competency System is a teaching and assessment tool  for teaching support workers and junior nurses to look after children with complex needs; developed by the Children's Community Nursing Teams. The competencies aim to teach and assess holistically including psychological and child focused elements.

Each competency includes power point slides, teaching notes, handouts, workbook, model answers and a competency document.

Consultant nurse, David Widdas, who developed the system with clinical educator, Liz Herd, said: “The system started in the community and is now also used in an adapted form in the local acute unit, University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire and in pre registration nurse training at Coventry University. We have also had a great deal of interest outside the local area, with copies being distributed across the UK, and to services in Europe, Australia, America and China.”

The package will be of interest to those who are responsible for supporting the implementation of the Aiming High for Disabled Children policy and associated improvement in short breaks provision.

The system will be available for free download at the ACT website from early July 2008.  Watch this space for more information.